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Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background and Overview
This draft program environmental impact report (PEIR) has been prepared by Los Angeles County
(County) through Los Angeles County Public Works (Public Works) to assess the potential
environmental impacts that could result from the implementation of the proposed 2020 LA River
Master Plan (Project) in Los Angeles County, California. The County is the lead agency for the
proposed Project, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Design information
for the proposed 2020 LA River Master Plan is at a conceptual level; therefore, the environmental
impact analysis is presented at a programmatic level and does not include project-specific or site-
specific analysis.
The Draft 2020 LA River Master Plan was released to the public on January 13, 2021 for review and
comment. The proposed Project is along a 51-mile-long, approximately 2-mile-wide (i.e., 1 mile on
each side) corridor of the Los Angeles River (LA River) in Los Angeles County and spans through 18
jurisdictions (17 cities and unincorporated County areas). The river encompasses an 834-square-
mile watershed and flows from its headwaters at river mile 51.0 in Canoga Park within the City of
Los Angeles to river mile 0.0 in Long Beach, where the river meets the Pacific Ocean. The LA River
was channelized between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries to protect lives and property from
flooding as the Los Angeles region rapidly grew and transformed to a largely urbanized area. Today,
1 million people live within 1 mile of the river.
1.1.1 LA River Master Plan History
The proposed 2020 LA River Master Plan is the culmination of planning efforts spanning 90 years. In
the past 30 years, planning efforts including technological advances, geographic information
systems (GIS), new data sources, new regulatory requirements, climate data, advanced mapping,
needs assessments, and health surveys have helped contribute to the goals, actions, and methods of
the 2020 LA River Master Plan. These early and more recent plans are briefly described below.
1.1.1.1 Early Planning Efforts
Planning for recreation and open space in the Los Angeles region formally started with the 1930
Olmsted-Bartholomew Plan, commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce entitled,
Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region. The plan identified the ways in which the
region was then lacking in open space and laid out a detailed plan for creating new parks, parkways,
and permanent “reservations.” The plan—which recognized that parks, open spaces, and connection
to nature would be essential to the health, environment, and economy of the region—foresaw the
rapid urbanization that was to come in the Los Angeles Basin and was published just before the
catastrophic floods of the 1930s.
Although this plan was considered visionary and sweeping for its time, priorities were shifted
following the flooding of the 1930s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Los
Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD) channelized the river in an effort to protect the
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growing population and property from flooding. The channelization tended to be focused on the
single-purpose benefit infrastructure (i.e., flood management facilities) and did not follow the
broad-based approach to open space, health, and the economy outlined in the 1930 Olmstead-
Bartholomew Plan. It was not until the 1980s that efforts to integrate the flood-management
functions of the river with broader water resources management, open space, recreation, and
communities began to emerge. Public interest in improving river conditions expanded, and Friends
of the LA River was founded in 1986, with the intent of improving river stewardship and restoring
community connections to the river in an ecologically, equitable, and sustainable manner.
1.1.1.2 1996 LA River Master Plan
In 1996, the County approved the Los Angeles River Master Plan (1996 Master Plan), which
expanded the originally single-purpose flood-management efforts on the river to a multi-benefit
community amenity that reflected aesthetic, environmental, economic, and recreational values of
local residents. The 1996 Master Plan focuses on the approximately 51-mile-long LA River, 9 miles
of the Tujunga Wash from Hansen Dam to the LA River, as well as the adjacent lands of these two
water resources in the County. Specifically, locations within approximately 0.5 mile on each side of
the centerline of the river comprise the study area in the 1996 Master Plan. This master plan
identified ways to revitalize public rights-of-way along the LA River while ensuring the continued
primary purpose of the LA River as a flood risk reduction facility. The 1996 Master Plan was a first
step in developing an inclusive vision of shared open spaces and parks, stewardship of water
resources, and safety from hazardous floods.
1.1.1.3 Recent Planning Studies and Adopted Plans
Since the approval of the 1996 Master Plan, numerous planning studies have been conducted and
plans adopted that call for a more integrated approach to improving water quality, stormwater,
flood management, habitat, open space, and recreation conditions along the LA River. In 2001,
California Resources Agency and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), in conjunction with the Santa Monica
Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), jointly developed Common Ground from Mountains to the Sea:
Watershed and Open Space Plan San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers, which identified continuous
tracts of open space, trails, and recreation areas along the San Gabriel and LA River corridors. The
City of Los Angeles adopted the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan in 2007, which
identified four core values for the stretch of the LA River that flows through the City: revitalize the
river, green the neighborhoods, capture community opportunities, and create value. That same year,
the City of Long Beach adopted the Long Beach River Link, which called for restoring native habitat
along the LA River, creating pedestrian and bike pathways, and improving aesthetics of the river.
Nearly a decade later, in 2015, the City of Los Angeles prepared the Stormwater Capture Master Plan,
which identified new projects, programs, and policies in the City, including along reaches of the
upper and lower LA River, that could substantially increase stormwater capture for water supply
before it flowed into storm drains and to the ocean through 2035. That same year, the City of Los
Angeles and USACE prepared the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility
Report to develop several ecosystem restoration projects along approximately 11 miles of the LA
River from Griffith Park to downtown Los Angeles by reestablishing riparian strand, freshwater
marsh, and aquatic habitat communities and reconnecting the river to major tributaries, its historic
floodplain, and the regional habitat zones of the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and Verdugo Mountain
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ranges while maintaining existing levels of flood risk management. A secondary objective was to
provide recreational opportunities consistent with the restoration projects.
The Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment was prepared by the County in 2016 and
inventoried and assessed the need for parks and recreation facilities in cities and unincorporated
County communities. The report established a new way to understand parks, recreation, and open
space by identifying parks as key infrastructure needed to maintain and improve the quality of life
for all County residents, using a new series of metrics to determine park need, supporting a need-
based allocation of funding for parks and recreation, and emphasizing both community priorities
and deferred maintenance projects.
In 2017, the City of Los Angeles prepared the LA River Low Flow Study, as part of the One Water LA
2040 Plan. The study identified considerations, assumptions, and areas of future study necessary to
determine optimal flow conditions in the LA River. These conditions would balance the City's water
supply needs with the LA River's water-dependent uses and regulatory requirements. The study
summarized LA River inflow sources, low flow conditions, an adaptive water management
alternatives, as well as the benefits, challenges, limitations, and costs of different alternatives. Also in
2017, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles
and the Colorado School of Mines, released the Los Angeles Sustainable Water Project: Los Angeles
River Watershed report, which identified the potential to improve water quality standards while
integrating the City of Los Angeles’ One Water Management practices that can increase potential
local water supplies for the City of Los Angeles in the highly urbanized LA River watershed. The
report was undertaken as part of a larger goal of the Sustainable LA UCLA Grand Challenge, which is
a necessary step toward realizing 100% locally sourced water for the County by 2050.
The Lower LA River Revitalization Plan was completed in 2017 and encompasses areas within 1 mile
on each side of the 19-mile section of river starting from the City of Vernon to its outlet in the City of
Long Beach, including unincorporated County communities and 14 southeast County cities. This
plan describes opportunities for improving the environment and residents’ quality of life along the
river and ensures locals’ input as the lower river is reimagined and revitalized into an integral part
of a healthy, equitable, and sustainable community.
The Los Angeles County Annual Affordable Housing Outcomes Report, published in 2018, provides an
understanding of housing needs and investments in the County, and highlights the County’s shortfall
of more than a half million affordable housing units. The report includes recommendations of public
expenditures to support production and preservation of affordable housing.
In 2020, the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group assessed the needs of
communities along the upper LA River channel and its six key tributaries within its upper
watershed. The group developed project concepts to enhance the quality of life of the communities
with a focus on people, recreation, water, and the environment. The Upper Los Angeles River and
Tributaries Revitalization Plan was released April 16, 2020.
1.1.2 2020 LA River Master Plan
The County began a comprehensive update to the 1996 Master Plan in 2018 with a motion adopted
by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2016. The update process, led by Public Works,
was supported by several additional County departments and a 41-member steering committee of
representatives of municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other governmental and non-
governmental entities that provided input and expertise related to water, people, and the
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environment, the three themes of the master plan. The foundation for the proposed 2020 LA River
Master Plan includes more than 140 planning efforts from across the watershed, including those
summarized above. The 2020 LA River Master Plan’s approach is unique from previous efforts
because the analyses—including ecosystem, demographic, and hydrologic studies—were conducted
for the entire 834-square-mile watershed of the LA River to better inform the various needs
underlying the nine goals, referred to as objectives under CEQA, as identified for the 2020 LA River
Master Plan.
The 2020 LA River Master Plan builds on the adopted 1996 Master Plan and other regional planning
studies since then. It is intended to improve 51 miles of connected open space along the LA River to
improve health, equity, access, mobility, and economic opportunity for the diverse communities of
the County while still providing flood risk management. The project themes of water, people, and
the environment capture the 1996 Master Plan key issues as well as other regional planning studies
and recognize that infrastructure planning cannot be isolated from equally important social and
environmental needs. The project website provides more detailed information on the Project and
the community outreach conducted to date for development of the master plan:
http://www.larivermasterplan.org/.
1.1.3 Master Plan Objectives
The 2020 LA River Master Plan identifies nine goals, referred to as objectives under CEQA:
1. Reduce flood risk and improve resiliency.
2. Provide equitable, inclusive, and safe parks, open space, and trails.
3. Support healthy, connected ecosystems.
4. Enhance opportunities for equitable access to the river corridor.
5. Embrace and enhance opportunities for arts and culture.
6. Address potential adverse impacts on housing affordability and people experiencing
homelessness1.
7. Foster opportunities for continued community engagement, development, and education.
8. Improve local water supply reliability.
9. Promote healthy, safe, clean water.
The 2020 LA River Master Plan is founded on a community and data-based goal-driven framework
that closely ties the plan’s recommendations to their potential to achieve the broader master plan’s
nine objectives. This was achieved through a comprehensive evaluation of criteria identified in the
plan’s existing conditions inventory and analysis for assessing each goal along the 51 miles of the LA
River, subsequently identifying areas of general to very high need relative to that objective.
1 The aim of the2020 LA River Master Plan objective “Address potential adverse impacts on housing affordability
and people experiencing homelessness” is to maintain strategies for ensuring continuing housing affordability in
LA River adjacent communities. Therefore, the use of “impacts” in objective 6 is distinct from the use of “impacts”
under CEQA where, per CEQA Guidelines Section 15358 (b), impacts analyzed under CEQA must be related to a
physical change in the environment.
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Each of the nine objectives is an active priority for the future of the river and was developed based
on an extensive community engagement and GIS-based needs analysis, with input from the
community, the steering committee, and technical experts, as detailed in the 2020 LA River Master
Plan. Each objective identified in the 2020 LA River Master Plan is supported by a recommended set
of actions that work toward achieving each objective. Each action is, in turn, supported by a set of
methods that provide specific, tangible implementation steps. Together, the objectives, actions, and
methods form the strategic directions of the 2020 LA River Master Plan.
A brief summary of the objectives is provided below.
1.1.3.1 Reduce Flood Risk and Improve Resiliency
The 2020 LA River Master Plan is intended to reduce flood risk and improve resiliency along the
river. However, not all areas of the river have equal conveyance capacity. In some areas, low-channel
capacity makes the probability of flooding of the river adjacent communities in any given year as
high as 25 percent. Development along the LA River has nearly completely encroached up to the
channel. It is critical to maintain the overall existing capacity, as well as increase the conveyance
capacity of the river in high-risk areas, to manage flood risk for people and property during storm
events. In addition, a changing climate is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme
precipitation events that result in flows that may exceed the channel’s current capacity. New
projects along the LA River will need to consider the long-term impacts of climate change and the
need to incorporate resilient infrastructure to manage these extreme events.
1.1.3.2 Provide Equitable, Inclusive, and Safe Parks, Open Space, and
Trails
Members of the community identified walking and bicycling as the top two activities they
participate in along the LA River, with participation in these two activities together greater than the
participation in all other activities combined. However, 61 percent said they do not use the river due
to safety concerns. Along the LA River, 12 of the 17 cities do not meet the World Health
Organization’s minimum standards of 2.2 acres of parks per thousand people, and only 32 of the
river’s 51 miles have trails alongside them. By aiming to provide 51 miles of safe, connected open
space, the LA River can be a valued recreational resource for the surrounding communities in the
County.
1.1.3.3 Support Healthy, Connected Ecosystems
The LA River watershed sits within one of the world’s most diverse Mediterranean biodiversity
hotspots and along the Pacific Flyway. Due to urbanization, the region has the largest number of
endangered and threatened species and species of special concern in the contiguous 48 states. The
river ecosystem has been altered from its historic state, first through agriculture and irrigation, and
later through channelization. In community meetings and surveys, 52 percent of participants said
the issue most important was protecting vulnerable plants and animals. Planning and development
efforts along the river must create habitat areas large enough to support native functioning
ecosystems.
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1.1.3.4 Enhance Opportunities for Equitable Access to the River Corridor
Today, ease and availability of access to trails along the LA River is highly variable. About 90 access
points connect people to trails that serve 32 of the river’s 51 miles. Yet, only one-third of these
access points have signs and only 70 percent connect to sidewalks. Many access points are well
served by bus, but only two metro rail stops fall within a half mile of an access point to the river. It is
therefore not surprising that one of the top five reasons community residents cited for not visiting
the LA River is simply not knowing where to go. The LA River is intended to be a resource for use by
all of the County. To be a resource, the river must be accessible and usable.
1.1.3.5 Embrace and Enhance Opportunities for Arts and Culture
The LA River has long been at the cultural and historical heart of Los Angeles. From its first
Indigenous Peoples to the many neighborhoods it runs through, engages, and enhances today, the
river has long been a valued community resource. The County has the opportunity to advance
culture, arts, creativity, and community pride throughout the County and to inspire by recognizing,
fostering, and preserving the rich tangible and lived cultural heritage along the LA River corridor.
The river presents an opportunity to incubate new ideas and talent among the next generation of
cultural practitioners, offering new cultural opportunities, experiences, and spaces where the arts
can flourish and be shared. Interventions that are permanent or temporary, or reflect socially based
practices of art, design, and gathering are all waiting to be realized. As a local cultural resource with
global influence and stature, the LA River corridor can be a major destination that draws residents
and tourists alike, that promotes the equitable inclusion of the County’s diverse people, and that is
responsive to the needs and aspirations of the local communities through which it flows.
1.1.3.6 Address Potential Adverse Impacts on Housing Affordability And
People Experiencing Homelessness
Housing costs for County residents have been steadily increasing for decades. The median owner-
occupied home value has increased by over 50 percent, from $298,800 to $465,900 between 2000
and 2016 (in 2016 dollars). Among renters, the percentage of household income spent on housing
increased from 28 to 35 percent in the same period. About a third (32 percent) of renters in the
County are severely rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than half of their income on rent. As
the affordable housing shortfall has risen, so has the number of people experiencing homelessness,
which exceeded 50,000 people across the County. Approximately 8,800 persons experiencing
homelessness are living in neighborhoods adjacent to the river. As the LA River moves toward the
vision of becoming 51 miles of connected open space, it is critical to consider how this vision will
affect housing and homelessness. With the goal of increasing parks and open space, there is
potential to negatively affect housing affordability. It is therefore important to proactively
implement a meaningful strategy for preventing displacement and ensuring continuing affordability
of housing in river adjacent communities. The 2020 LA River Master Plan seeks to improve
neighborhoods without causing negative effects of displacement.
1.1.3.7 Foster Opportunities for Continued Community Engagement,
Development, and Education
Among the hundreds of community groups that are present along the river, there are more than
three dozen organizations and initiatives that focus on the river itself, some of which have been
active for over three decades. Healthier, more socially connected communities were the third most
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important river-related issue for community members. The LA River’s connection to the region’s
history, ecology, and culture makes it a prime venue and tool for both community engagement and
education. Community members felt it was most important for people to learn about how the river
benefits and supports the environment (38 percent); its ecology, habitat, and vegetation
(33 percent); and the current hydrology and uses of the river (21 percent). Though some adjacent
communities currently take advantage of the river, the 2020 LA River Master Plan would help
reimagine the river and increase opportunities for engagement and education activity, serving as a
platform and front door for all surrounding communities.
1.1.3.8 Improve Local Water Supply Reliability
More than 50 percent of the region’s water supply is imported from the Colorado River, the
Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, and the Eastern Sierras. In the Los Angeles Basin, 57 percent of
water is imported, 34 percent comes from groundwater, and 9 percent is sourced from recycled
water, water conservation measures, and local surface water diversions. In community meetings
and surveys, supplementing water supply was the second most important issue related to the LA
River for participants, identified by 48 percent of participants. Increasing population, regulatory
requirements, natural disasters, and demands on the water system accentuate the decreasing
reliability of the sources of imported water supplies that is caused by cyclical droughts and climate
change. Dry weather and wet weather flows in the LA River present opportunities to develop and
diversify local water resources to reduce dependence on imported water and increase the reliability
and resiliency of the region’s water supply.
1.1.3.9 Promote Healthy, Safe, Clean Water
The LA River is a water body with multiple beneficial uses, impairments, and regulated pollutants.
While over 800 water quality improvement projects are planned, are in development, or have been
completed within the river’s watershed, additional efforts are needed to meet established water
quality targets. In many locations, there are projects proposed or constructed to meet the river’s
water quality requirements. However, there is much uncertainty in the funding and implementation
of the proposed projects to keep pace with approved regulatory milestones. In 2018, the County
passed Measure W, the Safe Clean Water Program, to provide a new source of funding to help
implement local and regional water quality projects. The 2020 LA River Master Plan would facilitate
the development of corridor-based water quality projects and programs to help promote healthy,
safe, clean water.
1.1.4 Draft 2020 LA River Master Plan - Public Involvement
and Review
The 2020 LA River Master Plan development process included a comprehensive community
engagement program, in addition to input from the 41-member steering committee and expertise
from the technical design team. The three-pronged approach was designed to represent the broad
range of interests along the LA River. Community outreach included digital surveys and extensive
partnerships with local grassroots organizations, as well as outreach methods like the first LA River
Youth Summit attended by 800 high school students from river-adjacent high schools around the
County, and telephone town halls where over 5,000 residents participated. Thirteen community
meetings specifically focused on master plan content were held in diverse geographies along the
51 miles of the LA River. The large-scale community engagement process—along with the robust
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data-driven analysis of existing conditions along the river—helped establish the community needs
and inform the 2020 LA River Master Plan objectives and design considerations. In addition to the
thousands of people who engaged in person, nearly one million people engaged with the website,
social media, or other digital aspect of the Project.
Eight public meetings of the Steering Committee were held between April 2018 and December 2019
and included public comment opportunities. The Steering Committee also formed three
subcommittees that met 27 times for follow-up discussions. The slide content of the Steering
Committee meetings as well as meeting summaries and additional technical data were made
publicly available at LARiverMasterPlan.org. Upon completion of the Steering Committee meeting
process, the draft master plan was reviewed by the subcommittees. The Draft Master Plan was made
available to the public on January 13, 2021 for review.
1.2 Overview of the CEQA Process
CEQA requires a lead agency to disclose the significant environmental effects of proposed actions to
decision-makers and the public. CEQA applies to all discretionary activities proposed to be carried
out or approved by public agencies. Approval of the proposed Project (2020 LA River Master Plan)
would be a discretionary action by a public agency, in this case the Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors, acting on behalf of the County as the lead agency for the Project. Therefore, compliance
with CEQA is required.
An EIR is an informational document prepared in compliance with CEQA that describes a proposed
project’s significant environmental effects, measures to mitigate those effects, and alternatives for
avoiding or minimizing the effects. A PEIR is a type of EIR that can be prepared on a series of actions
that can be categorized as one large project and are related geographically; as logical parts in the
chain of contemplated actions; in connection with issuance of rules, regulations, plan, or other
general criteria to govern the conduct of a continuing program; or as individual activities carried out
under the same authorizing statutory or regulatory authority (State CEQA Guidelines Section
15168). Therefore, this PEIR is being prepared for the 2020 LA River Master Plan because it is the
appropriate environmental document for a series of actions that can be characterized as one large
project and are related geographically (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15168). The 2020 LA River
Master Plan includes consideration of a multitude of actions that could be implemented in the future,
and all of them are geographically related to the LA River. While this PEIR provides an initial
program-level CEQA clearance for the 2020 LA River Master Plan, all subsequent projects proposed
under the 2020 LA River Master Plan will be examined in light of this PEIR to determine whether
subsequent or new CEQA documentation must be prepared (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15168
(c)(2)).
The major steps that have been and will be taken by the County in preparing the PEIR in compliance
with CEQA are described below.
1.2.1 Notice of Preparation and Scoping Period
The County, in accordance with CEQA, prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP), which was released
to the public and filed with the State Clearinghouse (SCH No. 2020070128) in the Office of Planning
and Research on July 7, 2020. The NOP provided notice to the public and public agencies that a PEIR
would be prepared, described the proposed Project that would be evaluated in detail in the PEIR,
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listed the probable environmental effects of the Project, and identified the date, time, and location
for an online scoping meeting, which was held on July 29, 2020.
The NOP was distributed to involved public agencies and interested parties for a 30-day public
review period, which began on July 7, 2020 and ended on August 6, 2020.
A copy of the NOP is included in Appendix A of this PEIR, along with written comments provided by
the public and public agencies in response to the NOP. Comments received in response to the NOP
during the scoping period were considered in preparing this PEIR.
1.2.2 PEIR Public Review and Comment Period
Notification of the availability of the PEIR was sent to the public and interested or affected agencies
for review. Release of the PEIR to the public begins a 45-day comment period, extending from
February 1, 2021 to March 18, 2021. During that timeframe, members of the public and public
agencies are asked to review the PEIR and provide comments on the document, including adequacy
of the impact analyses.
The PEIR can be reviewed on Public Works’ website (pw.lacounty.gov/go/larmpceqa). Following
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-28-20 relating to the threat of COVID-19, the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors announced that all Los Angeles County facilities were be closed to
members of the public beginning March 16, 2020. Since then, Public Works has closed all public
buildings and in-person services. Additionally, the County, City of Los Angeles, and City of Long
Beach library locations have been closed to the public until further notice and only select locations
have been offering curbside pickup.
Public Works is soliciting the views of interested persons and agencies on the content of this PEIR.
In accordance with CEQA, agencies are requested to provide their comments on environmental
issues related to the statutory responsibilities of the agency. The PEIR will be used by the County's
governing Board—the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors—when considering approval of the
proposed 2020 LA River Master Plan as well as any related discretionary actions. Any interested
individuals or entities can provide written comments on the PEIR. Written comments on the PEIR
must be postmarked by March 18, 2021 and should be addressed to:
Grace Komjakraphan-Tek
Los Angeles County Public Works, Stormwater Quality Division
900 South Fremont Avenue, 11th Floor
Alhambra, CA 91803
LARiverCEQA@pw.lacounty.gov
Public notice of the availability of the PEIR was provided in the following publications:
• Glendale Independent
• Grunion Gazette
• L.A. Watts Times
• Long Beach Press Telegram
• Paramount Journal
• Los Angeles Times
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• Excelsior LA
• The Canyon News
• Monterey Park Press
• The Downey Patriot
• The Signal Tribune
• South Bay Daily Breeze
• La Opinion
• Los Angeles Times en Español (Hoy Los Angeles)
• Los Angeles Daily News
1.2.3 Preparation of the Final EIR and Project Approval
Upon completion of the 45-day PEIR public review period, a Final PEIR will be prepared, which, among
other documents will include comments on the Draft PEIR received during the formal public review
period, as well as the County’s written responses to those comments. The Final PEIR will also contain
corrections to the text of the PEIR, if needed. This Draft PEIR and the Final PEIR will make up the PEIR
for the 2020 LA River Master Plan.
If the decision-making body of the lead agency (here, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors)
approves the proposed Project, CEQA requires the board to adopt findings with respect to each
significant effect identified in the PEIR (Public Resources Code Section 21081, State CEQA Guidelines
Section 15091). For each significant effect, CEQA requires the approving agency to make one or
more of the following findings:
• Changes or alterations have been required for, or incorporated into, the Project that avoid or
substantially lessen the significant environmental effect, as identified in the Final PEIR.
• Such changes or alterations are within the responsibility and jurisdiction of another public
agency and not the agency making the finding. Such changes have been adopted by such other
agency or can and should be adopted by such other agency.
• Specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations, including provision of
employment opportunities for highly trained workers, make infeasible the mitigation measures
or project alternatives identified in the Final PEIR.
In the event that the County, as the lead agency, concludes that the proposed Project would result in
significant effects that would not be reduced to less-than-significant levels or avoided by feasible
mitigation measures and alternatives, the County must adopt a statement of overriding
considerations (Public Resources Code Section 21081, subd. (b); State CEQA Guidelines Section
15093). Under CEQA, such statements are intended to provide a written means by which the lead
agency balances the benefits of a proposed project and any significant and unavoidable
environmental impacts arising from its implementation. Where the lead agency concludes that the
economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits outweigh the unavoidable significant
environmental impacts, the lead agency may find such impacts acceptable and approve the project.
In addition, pursuant to Section 21081.6 of the Public Resources Code, public agencies, when
approving a project, must also adopt a program for monitoring or reporting the changes that were
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incorporated into the project or made a condition of project approval, for mitigating or avoiding
significant effects on the environment. The purpose of the monitoring and reporting program is to
ensure mitigation measures and project revisions identified in the PEIR are implemented. The
program, which will be referred to as the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MMRP) for the
proposed Project, will be recommended for adoption by the Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors at the time it considers its project approval.
1.3 About This PEIR
1.3.1 PEIR
As introduced in Section 1.2 above, this EIR for the 2020 LA River Master Plan is a PEIR, which is
described in Section 15168 of the State CEQA Guidelines as an EIR that:
May be prepared on a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are related
either geographically, as logical parts in the chain of contemplated actions, [or] in connection with
issuance of rules, regulations, plans, or other general criteria to govern the conduct of a continuing
program…
Because the proposed Project consists of the 2020 LA River Master Plan with components that would
be implemented over a period of years, the County determined that a PEIR would be the appropriate
document for the proposed Project.
According to the State CEQA Guidelines (Section 15168[b]), a PEIR can provide the following
advantages:
• Provide an occasion for a more exhaustive consideration of effects and alternatives than would
be practical in an EIR on an individual action.
• Ensure consideration of cumulative impacts that may be slighted on a case-by-case basis.
• Avoid duplicative reconsideration of basic policy considerations.
• Allow the lead agency to consider broad policy alternatives and program-wide mitigation
measures at an earlier time, when the agency has greater flexibility to deal with basic problems
or cumulative impacts.
• Allow a reduction in paperwork.
1.3.1.1 Enforceability of Mitigation Measures
The analyses in this this PEIR includes impact determinations under CEQA for the 2020 LA River
Master Plan that are applicable to all 18 jurisdictions in the study area, including the County and
non-County jurisdictions (17 cities). Except for significant and unavoidable impacts, all identified
significant environmental effects of the proposed 2020 LA River Master Plan can be avoided or
reduced to a less-than-significant level if the mitigation measures identified in this PEIR are
implemented. These mitigation measures will be implemented for subsequent projects that are
carried out by the County. Because some later activities under the 2020 LA River Master Plan would
not be carried out by the County, the County cannot enforce or guarantee that the mitigation
measures would be incorporated. Therefore, where this PEIR concludes a less-than-significant
impact for later activities carried out by the County, the impact would be significant and
2020 LA River Master Plan Program EIR February 2021
1-11 ICF 54.20Los Angeles County Public Works 1 Introduction
unavoidable when these activities are not carried out by the County. However, the identification of a
significant and unavoidable program-level impact in this PEIR does not preclude the finding of a
future less-than-significant impact for individual projects that will tier from the PEIR.
1.3.1.2 PEIR and Later Activities
A PEIR can act as the first level of analysis at the program-level that streamlines later, more detailed
project-specific and site-specific environmental reviews. When later activities are proposed after the
PEIR is certified and the 2020 LA River Master Plan is approved, a determination will be made at that
time by the implementing agency2 a) whether the activity is covered “within the scope” of the PEIR,
and b) if new or worsened significant effects not examined in the PEIR could occur. Factors that an
agency may consider in making the determination of being within the scope of the PEIR could
include geographic area analyzed for environmental impacts, consistency of the later activity with
the type of allowable land use, overall planned density and building intensity, and covered
infrastructure described in the PEIR (CEQA Guidelines Section 15168[c][2]).
If an agency determines that a later activity is covered in the scope of the PEIR and new or
substantially more severe significant impacts would not occur, no further environmental
documentation would be required. If new or more severe impacts beyond those disclosed in the
PEIR could occur, the agency would prepare the appropriate level of subsequent CEQA
documentation needed (e.g., mitigated negative declaration, or a site-specific supplemental or
subsequent EIR) and the subsequent CEQA clearance can focus solely on new or substantially more
severe significant effects that were not considered in the original PEIR (CEQA Guidelines Section
15168[d][2]).
This concept, referred to as “tiering,” addresses the coverage of general matters in broader PEIRs
with subsequent CEQA compliance. These subsequent, project-specific environmental reviews
would incorporate by reference the general discussions from the previously prepared PEIR and
would focus solely on the issues specific to the environmental analysis subsequently prepared for
the later activities.
In the case of the proposed Project, multiple subsequent project-specific activities from the 2020 LA
River Master Plan would be designed and implemented over time. This PEIR would provide the
County, as the lead agency, and the 17 cities through which the proposed Project extends, with a
base reference of facts and analyses that would avoid unnecessary repetition for future project-
specific assessments by agencies on individual projects, and would allow for a comprehensive
approach to the consideration of regional and cumulative impacts.
1.3.1.3 Organization and Content of This PEIR
This PEIR conforms to the content requirements of the State CEQA Guidelines. A list of the chapters
and a brief description of their content is provided here to assist the reader in locating information.
Cumulative impacts are analyzed in each respective section.
• Executive Summary: Provides a brief description of the 2020 LA River Master Plan, including an
overview of the impact analysis, recommended mitigation measures, and net residual impact.
Summary information regarding the proposed Project and key conclusions is also provided.
2 An implementing agency is defined in this PEIR as any public agency intending to tier from the PEIR to comply
with CEQA for their discretionary action associated with a later activity under the 2020 LA River Master Plan PEIR.
2020 LA River Master Plan Program EIR February 2021
1-12 ICF 54.20Los Angeles County Public Works 1 Introduction
• Chapter 1, Introduction: Provides a general orientation regarding the purpose of CEQA, as well
as this PEIR, and includes information on the CEQA PEIR process.
• Chapter 2, Project Description: Presents a statement of the proposed project objectives; a
description of the location and setting for the Project; a detailed description of the proposed
Project’s components, including Typical Projects, kit of parts, and 2020 LA River Master Plan
Design Guidelines; and related information regarding implementation.
• Chapter 3, CEQA Environmental Impact Assessment: Analyzes potential impacts under CEQA
that could occur as the result of approval and implementation of the proposed Project. The
impact discussion is organized into 18 topical issues that have the potential to result in impacts
on the environment. This chapter also addresses cumulative impacts from the Project and
related projects.
• Chapter 4, Other CEQA Considerations: Discusses other topics required by CEQA, including a
listing of impacts found not to be significant, growth-inducing impacts, and irreversible changes
that might occur as a result of the Project.
• Chapter 5, Alternatives: Discusses proposed alternatives to the proposed Project and the
comparative merits of each, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.6. The
chapter also discusses alternatives that were considered, but rejected as infeasible, and
identifies the environmentally superior alternative.
• Chapter 6, List of Preparers: Lists persons who contributed directly to the preparation of this
PEIR.
• Chapter 7, References: Lists the sources of information that were referenced for the analyses
contained within this PEIR.
This PEIR also includes a number of appendices, including copies of the NOP, public responses to the
NOP, and the technical analyses that were the basis for the evaluation of project impacts presented
in Chapter 3, CEQA Environmental Impact Assessment, of this PEIR.
1.4 Agency Actions Anticipated for the PEIR
Because this is a PEIR, and project‐level approvals are not anticipated at this point, no other permits
or approvals (and hence, no responsible agency actions) are anticipated for the PEIR. After the final
PEIR is certified, more detailed project-level review can proceed along the 2020 LA River Master Plan
study area by the County or the 17 other jurisdictions. The PEIR will serve as a first-tier analyses for
later project-level and site decisions by these agencies. Individual entities with jurisdiction along the
river corridor—including the LACFCD, USACE, and the cities—will continue having decision-making
authority associated with any master plan implementation activities affecting their respective
jurisdictions.
1.4.1 Lead Agency Actions
The County will serve as the lead agency under CEQA for the PEIR and will be responsible—through
its governing board, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors—for approving the 2020 LA River
Master Plan. Similar to the 1996 Master Plan, the 2020 LA River Master Plan will guide County in
decision-making for LA River projects and facilities owned, operated, funded, permitted, or
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1-13 ICF 54.20Los Angeles County Public Works 1 Introduction
maintained by the County. As part of the decision-making process, the County will take the following
specific actions:
• Certify the final PEIR.
• Adopt Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations.
• Adopt an MMRP.
• Adopt the 2020 LA River Master Plan.
The County will establish an implementation team responsible for ongoing coordination after the
adoption of the 2020 LA River Master Plan.
1.4.2 Later Activities
The 17 cities and unincorporated County communities through which the proposed Project extends
are encouraged to adopt the 2020 LA River Master Plan and partner with the County in making the
reimagined river a reality. It is anticipated that the 2020 LA River Master Plan will eventually result
in later projects that will require other local and regulatory agency approvals. In addition to future
County proposed projects in the unincorporated areas, the 17 other jurisdictions in the study area
may carry out future development of specific projects that would be a part of the master plan. These
later activities will be carried out at the discretion of the other jurisdictions in which the later
activities are located and may or may not require subsequent CEQA analysis. If these other
jurisdictions choose to rely on this PEIR wholly or in part, or tier from it for subsequent CEQA
compliance of later activities over which they have discretionary authority, they will need to adopt
the relevant mitigation measures from the MMRP developed for the 2020 LA River Master Plan. They
will also need to adopt their own findings to ensure compliance with the requirements of this PEIR
pursuant to CEQA.
2020 LA River Master Plan Program EIR February 2021
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